Proposed method to measure ink colors

[canonfodder]

Tin Ho,
I suggest that you save your time and not pay any further attention to the proposed ink color testing or its results. It seems that you will not benefit from any information that might be provided.

The ink color testing will go forward as long as any useful information is being generated. We who are doing the testing will choose to continue or not.

All Interested Members,
Soon I will publish the complete instructions for the method used in the preparation of the ink samples. The samples are made on a strip of photo paper and are a very controlled amount of the tested ink 'printed' per unit area. Anyone who wishes may experiment with the preparation themselves, or adapt it to other purposes.

 

[Grandad35]

Both canonfodder and I have custom profiles for our printers and the bulk inks that we use (MIS/IS and Formulabs, respectively), and we have no plans on changing what we do as a result of these tests. We are running these tests strictly out of technical curiosity and a desire to expand what is known about the inks that we use. We think that the results will be of value to others who use 3rd party inks and who are concerned about getting accurate printed colors, but we won't know for sure until after we have published the results. As engineers, we both understand that some of the best discoveries are made while looking for something else, and we both want to keep an open mind about what we may learn.

AFAIK, there is no way to lay down an individual ink in a controlled thickness with a consumer grade inkjet printer. Canonfodder has solved this problem by developing a method which allows him to lay down a uniform (10 micron) layer of ink onto photo paper. Even if the final test results prove to be of no value, his sample preparation technique should prove useful to others who have a need to lay down a uniform layer of ink.

 

[Tin Ho]

Grandad, you said in your second round of tests it would include popular inks of unknown parentage. But Canonfodder made a confusing statement that inks from unknown sources will not be tested. He cited the reason that such inks may be inconsistent because the vendor may switch source any time without notifying anyone. Then you indicated that even known brand name inks changed inks without telling anyone. I may be too critical on you guys but it looks to me this test idea is started out with conflicting statements.

Again, the inks used in 3rd party prefilled ink cartridges may be inconsistent as you guys cited. But as I know of many (you probably never heard their names) bulk ink wholesale vendors do not disclose the sources of their ink mainly for marketing reasons. Their ink are part numberd and consistent. There is no doubt we all demand consistency when we buy bulk ink for refilling. So do those retailers who sell inks. I agree. If you are not certain about an ink's consistency then there is no point to test it. But don't make your test result ressembling those from Consumer Report either.

 

[panos]

Tin, the complete instructions of the method will be published as Canonfodder said, so you will be able to produce and publish results with your own set of inks.

 

[AlienSteve]

They subsequently eliminated the new formulation and reverted to the original formulation (remember the "New Coke"? fiasco).

Coca Cola Inc did -not- switch back to the old formula for "Classic Coke". It was all a ruse to switch to a different, cheaper form of sugar. If they had simply switched sugars, everyone could have told there was a change.

In Canada, I think they were not allowed to use the cheaper sugar. So Coke sold in Canada is the old formula, and tastes different.

Steve Greenfield